T-Wolves too White for some?

[theyhateme45]

When Wolves offseason moves built a squad that's glaringly white, skeptics chimed in about motives.

Dante Cunningham noticed when he reported for work in Minnesota this fall that his new Timberwolves team is unlike any for which he has ever played.

"Day One, we were all in the elevator and I kind of looked up," he said about a crowded ride with many of his new teammates, "and I was just like, 'Where is everybody?' "

Everybody, in this case, being black teammates. Come opening night on Friday, Cunningham will be one of five black players on a 15-man Wolves team that has reversed the National Basketball Association's historical racial percentages with a roster that is the league's whitest since the Boston Celtics teams of the 1980s.

Raised in Washington, D.C., and educated at Villanova, Cunningham played his first four professional seasons for three different teams in a league where American-born black players constituted 78 percent of roster spots last season and have been at least 75 percent since 1991-92.

Twin Cities black leaders have noticed, suggesting the franchise strategically has rolled back the calendar by decades in a league that long has been at the forefront of diversity among America's professional sports leagues.

"How did we get a roster that resembles the 1955 Lakers?" asked Tyrone Terrell, chairman of St. Paul's African American leadership council. "I think everything is a strategy. Nothing happens by happenstance."

That strategy, Terrell and others in the black community believe, is to sell tickets to the Wolves' fan base, which is overwhelmingly white.

"Patently false,'' said David Kahn, Wolves president of basketball operations. He and other Timberwolves executives instead call it a coincidence of circumstance and a purposeful plan to scour the globe for the best players they can possibly obtain. They will start the season with players from Russia, Montenegro, Spain and Puerto Rico, a total of five international players among a group that also includes five white American-born players.

http://www.startribune.com/sports/wolves/176071391.html?refer=y

IMO they are reaching... there are always going to be anomaly's to the average... also I think this speaks more to their international recruitment more than just trying to get "White Americans on their team"

[Proudiddy]

I'd get it if the guys they brought in suck... I mean, they also brought Brandon Roy back out of retirement when most thought he was done altogether.

I think it is just coincidence in this instance. Without looking at their roster, all the Euro/White dudes they have are legit, or at least were coming into this season.

[Herbert The Love Bug]

I remember when the bobcats were a heavily white/european team. Good times

[Murph]

There are not enough face palm gifs on the internet to properly respond to this.

[Sapper]

Yea, that is ridiculous.

I remember when Dirk and Steve Nash were tearing it up in the NBA and Reddick and Morrison were doing the same in college back in '05 at the same time and reading an article similar to this.

[Panthers128]

The team still is disproportionately black if you look at it from a certain perspective. five black players out of 15 players makes up 33% of the team. While the latest US demographics show that blacks make up 12.6% of the population.

If you look at it from an international point of view, then the NBA does have too many white players because internationally white people are a minority. But if you use that international perspective then the league should have much more Chinese, Indian, Arabic and Persian players.

It seems people only care when too many white people are successful. Hockey is too white. The GOP is too white. Nothing is too black, too Jewish or too Asian though. If there is a shortage of white people, then that just means it is a great showing of diversity.

[GAme]

The team still is disproportionately black if you look at it from a certain perspective. five black players out of 15 players makes up 33% of the team. While the latest US demographics show that blacks make up 12.6% of the population.

If you look at it from an international point of view, then the NBA does have too many white players because internationally white people are a minority. But if you use that international perspective then the league should have much more Chinese, Indian, Arabic and Persian players.

It seems people only care when too many white people are successful. Hockey is too white. The GOP is too white. Nothing is too black, too Jewish or too Asian though. If there is a shortage of white people, then that just means it is a great showing of diversity.

They are jealous.

[Panthers128]

I was playing 2K13 last night and decided to see how this team is. Can't say I was surprised. I don't think I've ever given up so many fastbreak points in my life.

There were backup centers on opposing teams beating my backup point guard down the floor. Luke Ridnour is probably slower than Glen Davis.

[Guest Super_Freak]

Looks like i just found a new team to pull for!!!

Ha, joking. Go Bobcats.

[Jackofalltrades]

Sensationalism at it's peak.

[Kakarot]

Lol.

[panthers5158]

I was playing 2K13 last night and decided to see how this team is. Can't say I was surprised. I don't think I've ever given up so many fastbreak points in my life.

There were backup centers on opposing teams beating my backup point guard down the floor. Luke Ridnour is probably slower than Glen Davis.

racial profiling?

some of the fastest & most athletic people in the world are white...

but this topic is beyond absurd...

Kevin Love is probably the best PF in the world...

Ricky Rubio is an elite young PG talent...

white guys can ball, too

[panthers5158]

I was playing 2K13 last night and decided to see how this team is. Can't say I was surprised. I don't think I've ever given up so many fastbreak points in my life.

There were backup centers on opposing teams beating my backup point guard down the floor. Luke Ridnour is probably slower than Glen Davis.

racial profiling?

some of the fastest & most athletic people in the world are white...

but this topic is beyond absurd...

Kevin Love is probably the best PF in the world...

Ricky Rubio is an elite young PG talent...

white guys can ball, too

[Kevin Greene]

Pffffttt, it's been done.